Millions of Americans use nutritional supplements and a variety of diets to look after their heart health. But a great new study found that there was prominently little proof from accurate studies that supplements and some extensively recommended diets have the power to avoid heart disease.
The new study, published in the annals of internal medicine, reviewed data from hundreds of medical trials involving almost a million people and found that only a small number of 16 popular supplements and just one of the eight diets evaluated had any noticeable result on cardiovascular outcomes.
Folic acid, reduced omega-3 fatty acids, and salt diets omega-3 fatty acids, the kind found in fish oil, showed some results. But the evidence was fairly fragile. And at least one proved evidence of harm: Taking calcium with vitamin D improved the risk of stroke, possibly because it increases blood clotting and hardening of the arteries.
The result is likely to elicit controversy and continued debate. But the researchers said one clear message from their study was that the more than half of Americans, who use nutritional supplements should be wary of claims that multivitamins and other supplements will progress their heart health.
